Adjustable leg attachment for a shoring panel



Dec. 6, 1960 H. J. FERGUSON 2,963,257

ADJUSTABLE LEG ATTACHMENT FOR A SHORING PANEL Filed Nov. 20, 1959 IO A23 I J 27 I 270 l5 r I I a 6 FIG. 3

IN V EN TOR. HUGH J. FERGUSON JK QM T My ATTORNEYS United States atent OADJUSTABLE LEG ATTACHMENT FOR A SHORING PANEL Hugh J. Ferguson, ParmaHeights, Ohio, assignor to Waco-Porter Corporation, a corporation ofMinnesota Filed Nov. 20, 1959, Ser. No. 854,323

6 Claims. (Cl. 248354) The present invention is concerned with anadjustable leg for shoring panels, scaifolding frames or the like, andspecifically with an adjustable leg attachment readily applied to andremoved from a structure with which it cooperates. The invention will bedescribed in terms of shoring structures.

Shoring systems and the like, adapted to the needs of modernconstruction methods-particularly concrete construction where quiteextensive areas of forms often are erected and supported for concretepouring opera- (ions-demand flexibility in application to many quitediverse overall shapes of the shored forms and local topography of theshore supporting base areas.

It is highly desirable not only that shoring systems be rugged-towithstand the wear and tear of repeated assembly and dismantling as wellas intended loading, adaptable to the variety of locations and types ofstructures to be shored, and quickly erected and disassembled; but alsothat as few as possible components be involved in the system, and thatthese be inexpensive while attaining other desired functional featuresfor the system. Basic among the components of modern systems are shorepanels, generally welded tubular steel frames, comprised of spacedparallel vertical legs joined by horizontal rungs and ledgers. Suchpanels are tiered one upon another with aligned legs secured by suitableconnectors to extend shoring vertically; and erected in horizontallyspaced locations with suitable cross bracing to provide load support atas many points as are required.

To accommodate load elevations which are incommensurable with, that isnot multiples, of a standard panel height, and also to accommodatediiferences in elevations of various points to be supported or of thebase area, particularly by a given panel adjacent the load, it isdesirable that a simple means be available to vary the effective panelleg lengths.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rugged yetinexpensive means for adjusting the effective height of shoring,scaifolding or the like. Another object is to provide an adjustable legattachment for a shore panel or the like. A still further object is toprovide a device of the character described which is rugged, quicklyattached to and removed from a cooperative combination of selectedheight with a shore panel or the like.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from thedrawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable leg for a shore panel,with parts of the latter appearing in fragmentary or phantom form toshow the cooperative relationship of the panel and adjustable leg;

Fig. 2 represents a typical shore panel with which the device of Fig. 1may be used;

Figs. 3, 4 and are transverse sectional views taken respectively asindicated by the lines 3-3, 4-4 and 55 in Fig. 1.

In the drawings, the device A is one form of an attachment according tothe present invention for providing an adjustable leg height or upwardleg extension in a shoring panel P, such as that appearing in Fig. 2, awelded tubular steel unit including a spaced parallel pair of legs 10,rigidly connected by transverse tubular members, namely a top or loadbearing ledger 11, a middle rung 12 and a bottom ledger 13. Theadjustable attachment comprises two principal assemblies, a slideassembly 14 vertically adjustable relative to a slideway or mountingmember 15, which is removably secured to the top ledger 11 and a leg 10of the panel.

In the slide assembly 14, a pair of like elongated tubular members 16,16 are secured in rigidly spaced parallel relation, at the top by aninterposed short tubular piece 17 welded therebetween and projectingvertically thereabove to form a vertical socket for the stud 18 of achangeable work engaging head H; and at the bottom by a horizontallydisposed or laterally open intervening U-shaped guide saddle 19,slidably embracing the leg 10, as here shown at a location between therung 12 and lower ledger 13. Through the legs of the U-piece 19extending inward beyond the leg, a removable lock pin 20 is passed toclose and retain the same in engagement with the leg and to stabilizethe slide.

The mount or slideway assembly 14 includes the pair of sleeves or shorttubes 22, 22 as slideways held in spaced parallel relation at the upperend by the interposed collar or ring 23, and below by the inverted U-shaped saddle piece 24 providing a ledger receiving recess, all weldedinto a rigid unit. A downwardly facing stop shoulder engaging the endsurface of the panel leg 10 is formed by a ring 23a welded in the topend of collar 23. The saddle 24 is of course entirely outside of thepanel leg receiving space.

Since ring 23 is received over the upper end of and to bear on the panelleg 10 projecting beyond the top ledger, and the saddle 24 embracing theledger 11 has a removable locking pin 25 extended therethrough toenclose the ledger, pin 25 serves to secure the entire mounting assemblyin position on the panel. The members 16 of the slide accordingly are ingenerally parallel coplanar relation with and immediately on each sideof the leg, in a plane generally perpendicular to the plane of thepanel.

Pairs of diametric apertures located on parallel respcctive diameters inmembers 22, and correspondingly placed series of longitudinally spacedapertures 26 through the slide members 16, are selectively alignable toreceive the parallel legs 27a of a U-shaped twinned pin 27, convenientlyattached to the mounting assembly by a chain.

The disclosed structure is quickly attached to a shore panel by removingthe saddle locking pins 20 and 25, and conveniently with the mountingassembly 15 near the top of the slide, dropping the entire attachmentinto place over the top of the panel leg. Pin 25 is then replaced, andso also pin 26 if the lower or guide saddle it falls between such rungand ledger members as permits contemplated vertical adjustment. A shorehead with or without an interposed adjusting screw for lengthadjustments within the adjustable leg increments, is applied as needed,and after the slide height is adjusted by bringing selected apertures 26into alignment with the apertures of the slideways, the dual pin 27 isinserted therethrough to hold the slide position. Pin 29 is of courseremoved and replaced as the guide saddle 19 is brought past a rung inany adjustment. Where an adjusting screw device is applied to the socket17, say as part of a head arrangement, the use of a centrally aperturedstop means as provided by ring 23a conveniently permits a screw elementof such device to be retracted into or received in a tubular panel leg.The adjustable leg may of course be likewise used inverted at the bottomof a panel.

The attachment as here disclosed has the further advantages that it iseasily fabricated at relatively low cost and in rugged form from tubularsteel and simply formed of plate or bar steel stock.

I claim:

1. An adjustable leg attachment fora shore panel or like structurehaving a leg and a laterally extending ledger element rigidly securedthereto at a location spaced from one end of the leg, comprising: aslide assembly and a slideway assembly for mounting the slide assemblyon said structure; said slideway assembly including a pair of spacedparallel slideways, means interposed between said slideways and adaptedto receive and circumferentially confine the said end of the leg, andmeans spaced from and providing a recess opening away from the firstsaid means adapted to embrace said laterally extending element; saidslide assembly including a pair of rigidly spaced parallel slideelements extending through and slidable in respective said slideways,and bottom guide means secured between the slide elements adapted toreceive said leg therein in slidable relation; said slide elementshaving respective series of longitudinally spaced apertures'therethrough; each said slideway member having an aperture therethroughand associated locking pin means whereby the slide assembly may be heldat selected position by the pin means extending through the slidewaymembers and slide elements.

2. An attachment as described in claim 1 wherein: said slideway assemblyincludes locking means for retaining said laterally extending element insaid recess; and said bottom guide means includes a laterally openrecess for receiving said leg therein and removable means for closingsaid recess to retain the leg in guided slidable relation.

3. An adjustable leg attachment for a shore panel or like structurehaving a leg and a laterally extending ledger element rigidly securedthereto at a location spaced from one end of the leg, comprising: aslide assembly and a slideway assembly for mounting the slide assemblyon said structure; said slideway assembly including a pair of spacedparallel tubular slideway members, an interposed connecting memberadapted to be received over and circumferentially confine the said endof the leg, a saddle adapted to embrace said laterally extendingelement, and a removable pin through the saddle for retaining saidelement therein; said slide assembly including a pair of rigidly spacedslide elements extending through and slidable in respective slidewaymembers,

laterally open bottom guide means secured between the slide elementsadapted to receive said leg therein and means for retaining the saidguide means in slidable relation about said leg; each said slidewaymember having an aperture therethrough, and said slide elements havingtherethrough respective series of longitudinally spaced aperturesalignable with the apertures of respective .slideway members; andlocking pin means whereby the slide assembly may be held at selectedposition by the pin means extending through the slideway members andslide elements.

4. An attachment as described in claim 3 including 4 means carried onsaid slide assembly for mounting a work engaging head.

5. An adjustable leg attachment for a shore panel having legs rigidlyconnected in spaced relation by a ledger secured thereto at locationsadjacent but spaced inward from one end of the respective legs; saidattachment comprising: a slide assembly including a pair of rigidlyspaced parallel slide elements and a mounting assembly for mounting theslide assembly in longitudinally slidable adjustable relation to thepanel leg with the slide elements on opposite sides of the panel; saidmounting assembly including a pair of spaced parallel tubular slidewaysguiding respective slide elements extending therethrough, an annularspacer and a laterally projecting saddle secured between said slideways,and adapted to receive respectively the said one end of a panel leg andthe adjacent ledger, and removable pin means adapted to retainsaidledger within said saddle for locking the mounting assembly on apanel; said slide elements having secured therebetween at an outboardend means for mounting a load engaging head, and at an inboard endsaddle-like guide means adapted to embrace said panel leg; releasablelocking pin means for maintaining the leg in slidable relation with saidsaddle element; said slide elements having similarly longitudinallyspaced series of parallel apertures therethrough, said slideways havinga parallel pair of respective apertures alignable with selectedapertures of said series; and a dual locking pin unit adapted forinsertion through aligned slideway and slide apertures. I

6. An adjustable leg attachment for a shore panel, scaffolding frame orlike structure having a leg and a laterally extending ledger elementrigidly secured thereto at a location spaced from one end of the leg,comprising: a slide assembly and a slideway assembly for mounting theslide assembly on said structure; said slideway assembly including apair of spaced parallel tubular slideway members, an interposedconnecting collar adapted to be received over the said end of and havingstop means for endwise engagement with the leg, a saddle adapted toembrace said laterally extending element, and a removable pin throughthe saddle for retaining said element therein; said slide assemblyincluding a pair of rigidly spaced slide elements extending through andslidable in respective slideway members, laterally open bottom guidemeans secured between the slide elements adapted to receive said legtherein, and means for retaining the said guide means in slidablerelation about said leg; each said slideway member having an aperturetherethrough, and said slide elements having therethrough respectiveseries of longitudinally spaced apertures alignable with the respectiveapertures of the slideway members; and locking pin means whereby theslide assembly may be held at selected position by the pin meansextending through the slideway members and slide elements.

No references cited.

